Safety combination lock



March 1, 1932. w. F. DOENGES Q 1,847,071

SAFETY COMBINATION LOCK Filed March 29, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mafch 1, 1 w. F. DOENGES 1,847,071

' SAFETY COMBINATION LOCK Filed March 29, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 1, 1932 PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM F. DOENGES, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS SAFETY COMBINATION LOCK Application filed. March 29,

In combination locks as now made, each tumbler has an opening which, when aligned with the other tumbler openings, permlts the cooperating lock element to drop into the r same. These openings can readily be made visible from the outside of the doors by means of certain forms of electric rays, thus making it possible for a burgler easily to open the doors.

The object of the present invention is to produce a combination lock having tumbleropenings which cannot be rendered visible 1n the manner just described.

In accordance with my invention, I so con- 2 struct the tumblers and bolt that the openings or recesses in the tumblers do not extend through the entire thickness of the latter but are closed on at least one side, so that in side. elevation the tumblers appear to have uninterrupted peripheries. The openings or recesses in thetumblers are made shallow compared with the notch in the drive wheel, so as still further to reduce the possibility that the tumbler recesses or openings may be rendered visible through the use of electric or other rays passing inwardly through the door. hen, instead of making the tumbler end of the bolt solid, as heretofore, I divide it into relatively movable parts, one of which is adapted 'to enter the notch in the drive wheel to permit the bolt to assume its release position; the remainder, moving through a shorter distance than that required to produce an unlocking condition, being adapted to enter the recesses in the tumblers.

Suitable interlocking means between the parts of the bolt lock the bolt against completing its releasing stroke until all of the tumblers have been brought into a pre-determined angular position, whereupon the bolt is freed so that it may complete its travel into the unlocking position when the notch in the drive wheel is brought to the proper point.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages,

reference may be had to the following de- 1930. Serial No. 439,878.

tailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dial-controlled combination locking device, the tumbler casing being shown in section; Fig. 2 is an end view of the device, looking at the right hand end of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1, on a somewhat larger scale; Fig. 4 is a section taken on line ll of Fig. 1, on the same scale as Fig. 3, and the visible tumbler being shown partly. in section; Fig. 5 is a side or edge view of thetumblers and drive wheel, on the same scale as Figs. 3 and separated from the remainder of the lock device; Fig. 6 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of the tumbler end of the bolt, being a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2, and all of the parts except the bolt being omitted; Fig. 7 is an end view of the bolt, looking at the left hand end in Fig. 6, portions of the drive wheel and tumblers being shown in operative relation thereto; Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are views partly in section and partly in elevation, showing the tumbler end of the bolt and fragments of the drive wheel and tumblers respectively; and Figs. 11 and 12 are respectively a side and an edge view of the locking block between the relatively movable parts of the bolt.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a combination lock case, 2 the dial, 3 the operating shaft, and 4 the drive wheel of any usualor suitable combination lock. Vithin the case are any desired number of tumblers 5, also of any usual or suitable construction, except as hereinafter indicated. The drive wheel has in the periphery a deep notch 6 into which the lock bolt or a part thereof enters in moving to its release position. The bolt may take any suitable form. In the arrangement shown, the bolt'consists of a heavy doglike member 7 pivotally mounted on the combination lock casing by means of a pin or screw 8 passed through the same and into the casing toward one end of the'bolt. The short end of the dog' 'is provided with a nose 9 adapted to register with the notch in the drive wheel when the latter occupies a predetermined angular position, and to enter the notch through the action of gravity assisted,

if desired, by means of a spring between the dog and the casing.

In the ordinary lock of this type the nose on the bolt is wide enough to extend across all of the tumblers as well as across the drive wheel; the tumblers being provided with notches similar to those in the drive wheel, whereby the notches in the tumblers and in the drive wheel must all be brought in line in order to permit the bolt to move into its release position. In accordance with my invention, I make that part of the bolt that engages with the tumblers separate from that part that co-operates with the drive wheel; uniting the parts together, however, in such a manner that they will have capacity for limited relative movements and be interlocked with each other to a certain extent. By this means the bolt elements that engage the tumblers need have only small movements compared to the movement of the bolt as a whole, and therefore the notches or recesses in the tumblers need not be deep but may be quite shallow.

In the arrangement shown, what may be termed the auxiliary nose elements 11 of the bolt are in the form of teeth on a swinging block 12- hinged to the belt by means of a suitable hinge pin 13; the parts being so proportioned that he teeth lie in a row beside the nose 9 but may be swung up and down with the block. A spring 14 fixed at one end to the body of the bolt, and underlying a pin 15 projecting from the side of the block 12,

tends constantly to hold the block in such a position that the teeth project somewhat above the nose 9. Therefore, when the nose 9 is riding on the uninterrupted part of the periphery of the drive wheel, the auxiliary nose elements may ride in grooves 16 extending around the peripheries of the tumblers. Each tumbler has, instead of a deep notch. similar to that in the drive wheel, a small recess 17 opening from the bottom of the peripheral groove. In other words, the notch element of each tumbler is open only at the periphery and not at the sides of the tumbler so that, in side elevation, each tumbler has an uninterrupted circular outline. When the recesses in all of the tumblers are brought into line opposite the teeth on the bolt, the swinging block on the bolt is moved by the spring so as to cause the teeth to enter the recesses, even though the nose 9 be still riding on the unmutilated part of the drive wheel. Then, when the drive wheel is brought into such position that its notch is in line with the recesses in the tumblers, the nose 9 enters the notch, due to the fact that the bolt as a whole 'may now swing bodily P even though the block 12 has reached the limit of its swinging movement.

Some means must be provided to prevent the bolt from swinging into its release position whenever the notch in the drive wheel registers with the notch on the bolt unless,

at the same time, the teeth or auxiliary bolt elements are seated in the recesses in the tumblers. This is accomplished by interlocking the block 12 and the bolt in such a manner that the bolt cannot normally swing toward the axis of rotation of the drive wheel, but is freed for such swinging movement upon the entry of the teeth or auxiliary bolt elements into the recesses in the tumblers. In the arrangement shown, this is accomplished by means of a locking block 18 extending through and slidable in the block 12 the locking block being pivotally connected at its lower end, as indicated at 19, to the bolt proper. The locking block has therein a long L-shaped so slot 20 whose long arm extends lengthwise of the locking block, and whose short arm, at the upper end of the block, extends crosswise.

In the'block 12 is a short diagonal slot 21 of a length about equal to that of the short 5 arm of the slot 20. A pin 22 extends through the slots 20 and 21. Normally the parts are as shown in Fig. 8, the nose 9 and the teeth 11 riding on the peripheries of the drive wheel and tumblers, respectively. One end 9 of the diagonal slot 20 registers with the short arm of the slot 21 at or near the free end of the latter. It is at this point that the pin 22 is situated. It will be seen that of it be attempted to swing the bolt in a clockwise direction, the pin 22 serves as a positive look as long as the teeth 11 remain out of the recesses in the tumblers. When the tumblers are turned so as to bring the recesses therein into registration with the teeth 11, as indicated in Fig. 9, the spring 14 forces the block 12 up. This upward movement of the block 12 is permitted because the lower edge of the inclined slot 12 serves a wedge that will push the pin 22 toward the right. The parts are so proportioned that the movement of the pin 22 brought aboutby the seating of the teeth on the block 12 in the recesses in the tumblers is such as to bring the pin directly at the upper end of the long arm of the slot 20, IS-i 16 shown in Fig. 9. The bolt elements and the tumblers remaining in the positions indicated in Fig. 9, it is only necessary to turn the drive wheel until the notch 6 registers with the nose 9, as indicated in Fig. 10. It will be seen that in Fig. 9 the pin 22 no longer serves as a lock to prevent the upward movement of the left hand end of the bolt and, therefore, as soon as the drive wheel reaches the position indicated in Fig. 10, gravity and the spring 10 will swing the bolt in the clockwise direction; the locking pin 22 simply riding in the long arm of the slot 20 and the block 12 remaining stationary or at least having no further movement toward the axis of rotation of the tumblers.

When the dial is turned backward to return the locking dog or bolt to its locking position, the inclined side 23 of the notch depression in the drive wheel, as best s in Fig. 10, pushes the dog or bolt down until the nose rides on the periphery of the wheel. Then, when the drive wheel catches the first tumbler and the tumbler begins to turn, the block 12 is pushed down so as to withdraw all of the teeth from the recesses in the tumblers; the parts being then all in the condition shown in Fig. 8.

It will thus be seen that I have produced simple and novel combination lock device in which the tumbler openings or recesses are of such a character, and are so located, that it will be to all intents and purposes impossible to disclose their locations by means of electric rays that would make all of the usual tumbler openings visible to a person on the outside of the door. It will also be seen that l have accomplished my purpose in a simple way and by means of only a few additional parts.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A combination lock mechanism comprising a driving wheel having a peripheral recess, a locking bolt adapted to enter said recess in assumin release position, tumblers having peripheral recesses, an element pivotally mounted on the locking bolt and having tumbler-engaging portions adapted to enter the recesses in the tumblers in assuming a release position, and interlocking means between said locking bolt and said element whereby said locking bolt is prevented from entering the peripheral recess in the driving wheel until after the tumblerengaging portions of the element have entered the peripheral recesses in the tumblers.

2. A combination lock mechanism comprising a driving wheel having a peripheral recess, a locking bolt adapted to enter said recess in assuming a release position, tumblers having peripheral recesses, an element pivotally mounted on the locking bolt and having tumbler-engaging portions adapted to enter the recesses in the tumblers in assuming a release position, and a locking block mounted on the locking bolt and provided with means cooperating with the element having the tumbler-engaging portions to prevent the locking bolt from entering the peripheral recess in the driving wheel until after the tumbler-engaging portions of the element have entered the peripheral recesses in the tumblers.

3. A combination lock mechanism comprising a driving wheel having a peripheral recess, a locking bolt adapted to enter said recess in assuming a release position, tumblers havingperipheral recesses, an element pivotally mounted on the locking bolt and having tumbler-engaging portions adapted to enter the recesses in the tumblers in assumpivotally mounted at its lower end on the locking'bolt and provided with means cooperating with the element having the tumblerengaging portions toprevent the locking bolt from entering the peripheral recess in the driving wheel until after the tumbler-engaging portions of the element have entered the peripheral recesses-in the tumblers.

4. A combination lock mechanism comprising a driving wheelhaving a peripheral recess, a locking boltadapted to enter said recess in assuming a release position, tumblers having peripheral recesses, an element pivotally mounted on the locking bolt having tumbler-engaging portions adapted to enter the recesses in the tumblers in assuming a release position and" having a slot extending transversely therethrough, a locking block mounted on the locking bolt and having a slot extending transversely therethrough, and a pin mounted on the locking bolt and extending through the slots in the pivotally mounted element and in the locking block whereby said locking bolt is prevented from entering the peripheral recess in the driving wheel until after the tumbler engaging portions of the element have entered the peripheral recesses in the tumblers.

5. A combination lock mchanism comprising a driving wheel having a peripheral recess, a locking bolt adapted to enter said recess in assuming a release position, tumblers having peripheral recesses, an element pivotally mounted on the locking bolt having tumbler-engaging portions adapted to enter the recesses in the tumblers in assuming a release position and having a diagonal slot extending transversely therethrough, a locking block pivotally mounted at its lower end on the locking bolt and having an inverted L-shaped slot extending transversely therethrough, a pin mounted on the locking bolt and extend ing through the slots in the pivotally mounted element and in the short arm of the inverted L-shaped slot .in the locking block to prevent relative movement between said locking bolt and said tumbler-engaging portions, and means to move the tumbler-engaging portions into the tumbler recesses when said tumblers assume a release position, the movement of said tumbler-engaging portions freeing the pin from its position within the short arm of the L-shaped slot in the locking block and permitting the locking bolt to move into the recess in the driving wheel to release said locking bolt.

6. A combination lock mechanism comprising a driving wheel having a peripheral recess, a locking bolt adapted to enter said recess in assuming a release position, tumblers ing a release position, and a locking block having peripheral recesses; an element pivotally mounted at its inner end on the locking bolt having tumbler engaging portions at its outer free end adapted to enter the recesses in the tumblers in assuming a release position and having an intermediate diagonal slot extending transversely therethrough, a locking block pivotally mounted at its lower end on the locking bolt and having an inverted L- shaped slot extending transversely therethrough, a pin mounted on the locking bolt and extending through the slots in the pivotally-mounted tumbler-engaging element and in the short arm of the inverted L-shaped slot in the locking block to prevent relative movement between said locking bolt and said pivotally mounted tumbler engaging element, and a spring mounted on the locking bolt to move the tumbler-engaging portions into the tumbler recesses when said tumblers assume a release position, the movement of said tumbler-engaging portion freeingthe pin from its position within the short arm of the L-shaped slot in the locking block and into a position within the long arm 01"- the L-shaped slot in the locking block to permit the looking bolt to move into the recess in the driving wheel to release said locking bolt.

7. A combination lock mechanism compris ing a driving wheel having a peripheral recess a locking bolt adapted to enter into said recess in assuming a release position, tumblers each having a peripheral groove and each having a recess extending into said tumblers at the base of said groove an element mounted on the locking bolt and having tumbler-engaging portions disposed in the grooves and adapted to enter the recesses in said tumblers when said tumblers assume a release position, and means to move the locking bolt into the recess in the driving wheel when said tumblerengaging portions enter the recesses in said tumblers to release said locking bolt.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

WILLIAM F. DOENGES. 

